Process for the heat treatment of liquids



Jan. 2, 1934.

FRESH STOCK PROCESS FOR THE HEAT TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS F. w. STEERE1,942,191

Filed May 2:5; 1929 2 Sheets-Shed '1 COM BUSTION CHAMBER CONDENSERUNCONDENSED GASES 2- 5;-

l 26 DECANTER Z4 9 24 25 27 l REFLUX 28 RECTIFYING COLUMN 32 2 :HEAVIERFRACTWNS COLLECTOR 2 /TANKS-\ 3 33 STILL STORAGE 5 TANKS 6 l2 SLUDGE T0STORAGE TANK BLOW OFF LINE 11v VENTOR 74 TTUANEY Jan. 2, 1934. F. w.STEERE PROCESS FOR THE HEAT TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS I Filed May 23, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 any. 2,.

CONDENSER UNCONDENSED GASES 8 R E m A j K 7 D 2 I 4+ 2 X U L F E RCOLLECTOR 29 TAN K5 TANKS k STORAGE RECTIFYING COLUMN L'- ST/LL /1VVEIVTOR TTORNEY Patu'ited Jan. 2, 1934 one-half This invention relatesto the heat treatment of substances generally as described in mycopending application filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 365.300,and the particular embodia merit of the invention described and claimedherein relates to the heat treatment of'liquids, and more particularlythe distillation and crackin: of oils.

described and claimed herein is to. provide a process for economicallyand efficiently heat treating liquids. Another object is to provide aprocess for cracking and distilling oils to obtain maximum yields oflight oils and'a combustible gas as a by-product of the distillationoperation.

The present invention eliminates to a large extent the disadvantageous.features of distilling andcracking oils and heat treating liquids asheretofore practiced. According to present-day :0 practice, liquids areheat treated and oils are distilled and cracked by the indirectapplication of heat. In contradistinction, this invention comprises aprocess for the heat treatment of liquids by contacting the liquids withthe hot gaseous products formed by reacting oxygen and carbonaceousmaterials, preferably in direct contact with the liquids and whilecontrolling the temperature of the reaction, by introducing a suitableheat absorbing medium.

The nature and objects of this invention will be better understood froma-description of particular illustrative embodiments thereof, for thepurpose of which description reference should be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming apart hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic layout or flow sheet showing an arrangement ofapparatus for distilling oils and illustrating a preferred embodiment ofthis invention; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic layout or flow sheet showing a modifiedarrangement of apparatus for practicing my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a still of the tim customarilyused for the distillation of petroleum oils, this still being providedwith a fresh stock supply pipe 2 having a valve 3 therein. Still 1 alsohas an outlet main 4 connected to the base thereof at 5, end ,6 of main4 being connected to a combustion chamber 7. A valve .8 is positioned inthe main 4. The combustion chamber 7 has a safety valve control outlet10 at the top, a discharge or blow-off line 11 at the base, line 11being provided with a suitable. valve 12, and is connected with the baseof still 1 by-a pipe 14' controlled by valve 9.

One object of the embodiment of my invention UNITED STATES PATIENT;orrl'cs PROCESS FOR THE HEAT TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS Frank W. Steere,Scarsdale, N. Y., aosignor, by direct and meme assignments, of one-halfto Semet-Solvay Engineering Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York, and

to Air Reduction Company, Inc., New

York, N. Y,, a corporation of New York Application May 2:, 19:9. SerialNo. 365,301 5 Claims. (01. m-a'n' According to the present invention,the combustion chamber 7 is provided with'a so-called burner" 15. Thisburner preferably consists of three interconnected pipes communicatingwith a burner tip 16, one pipe 1'! being used to co supply carbonaceousmaterial, as, for example, powdered coal, oil, combustible gas and thelike, another pipe 18 being used to supply oxygen, and the third pipe 19being used to supply a suitable heat-regulating medium, preferably assteam.

The still 1 is provided with a rectifying column 21 communicablyconnected to a condenser 22 by a pipe 23, condenser 22 having acondensate return pipe 24 leading back to the column 21. A

. draw-ofi or drain pipe 25 having a valve 26 therein connects thereturn pipe 24 with a decanter 27, and when valve 24' in pipe 24 isclosed decanter 27 is in turn connected by a pipe 28 with collectortanks 29, which are connected to storage tanks 30 by valve control pipe31. A gas draw-off pipe 35 leads from the condenser 22 and is connectedto suitable gas treating. and purifying devices or to a gas holder (notshown). As the arrangement and construction of the rectifying column,condenser, decanter, collector tanks and storage tanks are well known inthis art, further description thereof is considered unnecessary.

In the modification shown in'Fig. 2, a tank'40 is provided with a valvecontrol fresh stock supply pipe 41. A pipe 42 leads from substantiallythe base of tank 40 to a pump 43, which in turn is connected to a pipe44 terminating in a spray header 45 positioned within still 46.Preferably the spray header 45 extends transversely across the still 46at substantially the top thereof. This still is connected at its base bya return pipe 47 with the tank 40. Extending through one side of thestill 46 is a burner 50 of identical construction with the burner 15,hereinbefore described.

The still 46 is provided with a rectifying column 21, condenser 22,decanter 2'7, collectortanks 29 and storage tanks 30 and suitableconnections constructed and arranged as described in connection with theidentical apparatus of Fig. 1.

In operation (Fig. 1) valve 8 in pipe 4 is opened and fresh stock issupplied through pipe 2 to the still 1. This stock flows through themain 4 into combustion chamber 7. Burner 15 is then supplied withoxygen, steam andcarbonaceous ma- 105 terial, as powdered coal or oil,which react to form water gas at a very high temperature. This water gascontacts with the body of oilformed in the combustion chamber 7,distilling off the light and heavy oils, and the mixture of water gasand 1? resultant oil vapors passes up through pipe 14 into contact withthe oil in still 1, distilling the oil in the still, and the resultantmixture of gases and oil vapors passes into the rectifying column 21.The valve 9 in pipe 14 is opened immediately after the operation iscommenced and the mixture of gas and volatiles coming up through pipe 14obstructs the passage of oil down through pipe 14 and causes a flow ofoil into and through pipe 4. By suitably regulating the supply of freshstock to still 1, a constant fiow of material from this still to thecombustion chamber 7 and a flow of water gas admixed with products ofdistillation from the combustion chamber 7 through pipe 14 and throughstill 1 is maintained.

The heavy oil vapors condensing in the rectifying column fallback intothe still 1, flow with the oil therein through main 4 into thecombustion chamber '7 and are contacted with the hot gases resultingfrom thereaction of oxygen, steam and carbonaceous material of burner15, so that the oils of high molecular weight are decomposed into bodiesof lower boiling points and the oilvapors pass through pipe 14 and still1 into the rectifying column 21. Due to the direct contact of the hotgaseous reacting products from the burner 15 with the oil, immediatedistillation and cracking of the oil results, and by using therectifying column to return a predetermined portion of the heavier oilsfor redistillation and cracking, maximum yields of light oils may beobtained. The rectifying column is preferably provided with condensatedraw-offs 32 and 33 for removing desired heavier oil fractions.

The uncondensed gas and vapors pass from column 21 through pipe 23 tocondenser 22 where the mixture of gas and vapor is cooled and thecondensable constituents removed, a portion of the condensate beingreturned to the rectifying column through reflux line 24 for heatinterchange with the gas and vapors in the column 21. The remainder ofthe condensate is withdrawn through pipe 25 and led into a decanter 27,where separation of impurities from the oil results, and the desiredlight oil fraction is passed from the decanter to collector tanks 29 andtherefrom to storage tanks 30.

The uncondensed gas consisting of water gas and oil gas mixture ispassed through pipe 35 from the condenser 22 to suitable gas treatingand purifying devices not shown. The sludge or residue in combustionchamber 7 is drawn off at convenient intervals through blow-off line 11and passed to a storage tank (not shown).

The operation of the modified arrangement of apparatus shown in Fig. 2closely resembles the operation hereinabove described. Pump 43 providesa circulating medium for the oil, pumping the oil from tank 40 throughspray header 45 into substantially the top of still 46, the oil flowingdown through the hot zone produced by the reaction of steam, oxygen andcarbonaceous material of burner 50 contacting with the products of thisreaction and thus being distilled and cracked. The undistilled residueflows from still 46 throughpipe 47 into the tank 40 and is againcirculated by the pump 43. The water gas resulting from the operation ofburner 50 with the oil vapors pass up through the still into rectifyingcolumn 21. Theheavier oil vapors condensing in the rectifying columnfall back into still 46 and are admixed with the oil flowing from header45 and contact with the hot gases from burner 50 so that the oils ofhigher molecular weight are decomposedinto bodies of lowerboiling'points, the

oil vapors passing up into the rectifying column, and treated as abovedescribed in connection with the description of column 21 and connectedapparatus of Fig. 1.

Preferably steam, carbonaceous fuel, as powdered coal or oil, and oxygenare fed to the burner. These materials react to form water gas at a veryhigh temperature, this water gas passing through the oils, distillingand cracking the oils and passing with the volatiles from the oilsthrough the rectifying column. From thence the uncondensed constituentsof the water gas admixed with the uncondensed volatiles from the oilspass into the condenser, the resultant un condensed gas being ledthrough the gas ofitake to a holder or suitable gas treating andpurifying devices. This uncondensed gas coming from the condenser is acombustible gas resembling somewhat carburetted water gas and may have aready market as such or may be used as the carbonaceous fuel reactedwith the steam and oxygen in the burner. The function of the steam.however, is to primarily absorb the heat evolved by the reaction ofoxygen with carbonaceous material and to act as a carrier for this heat,and while steam is preferred, particularly in view of the endothermicaction of the steam with oxygen and carbonaceous material to producewater gas, a valuable product, other heat controlling or absorbing mediamay be used, as, for example, hydrogen, nitrogen, water gas and thelike.

While the invention has been above described primarily in connectionwith the distillation and cracking of oils, it will be understood thatit is 110 not limited thereto and is applicable to the heat treatment ofliquid substances generally, as, for example, the dehydration ofliquids, coking of pitches, and wherever the direct application ofheat'to liquids where the presence of a com- 115 bustible gas is notobjectionable, would serve a useful purpose.

By the term oxygen as used in the specification and claims, it isintended to include oxygen mixed with other gas and particularly oxygen120 mixed with air. In the treatment of some liquids the presence ofnitrogen may be objectionable, and in such cases oxygen having nonitrogen content would be used. In many cases, however, the presence ofnitrogen is not objectionable and, accordingly, the term oxygen" as usedherein is not intended to exclude oxygen content of air.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that various changes in the detailsthereof may be made and this invention is not to be limited to thedisclosure herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A process for the heat treatment of liquids which comprises reactingoxygen, steam and powdered coal in contact with a body of said liquid.

2. A process for the heat treatment of a carbonaceous liquid whichcomprises reacting powdered coal and oxygen in contact with said liquidwhile supplying steam to the zone of combustion to control thetemperature thereof.

,3. A process for the distillation and cracking of oils which comprisescirculating said oils to form .a continuous stream, subjecting saidstream to direct contact with the hot gaseous products of areactionbetween oxygen, steam and powdered coal, passing the resultant gas andvapors through a rectifying column to condense heavy hydrocarbons, andpassing the gas and the remaining vapors from this column into andthrough a condenser to separate light liquid hydrocarbons and water fromthe condensable gases.

4. A process for the distillation and cracking of oils which comprisescyclically circulating said oils to form a continuous stream, subjectingsaid stream to direct contact with the hot gaseous products of areaction between oxygen, steam and the combustible gas obtained from thedistillation of oil, passing the resultant gas and vapors through arectifying column to condense heavy hydrocarbons, and passing the gasand the remaining vapors from the column into and from the columnthrough a condenser to separate light liquid hydrocarbons and water fromthe incondensable gases. I

FRANK W. STEERE.

